Back in that hallway post, I showed a wall of photos. Commonly called a gallery wall, I like to think of these as really just a cluttery wall of family photographs. Now, personally, am not too big on family photos on walls. Lots of people get great joy from them, but my heart is dark and I do not. I like to look at other people’s photos but I’m always thinking, this could have been done in a book, you know, it didn’t have to take up this WHOLE wall. Man, what a downer I am today. But my husband requested this; it was possibly the only house related thing he has ever in his life requested, so I kind of had to complied. I think he was looking for some daily reminders of how little and sweet our children are for the those times when the day-to-day of parenting/adult life is a drag. Parenting is so hard. So good, the best. But soooo hard. Especially when they are really little. So, the wall o’ photos went up around the corner in our bedroom hallway. It’s not like BOOM IN YOUR FACE portraits of my children the moment you walk in the door, so I can deal with it. We walk by it many times a day, looking at our beautiful, calm, quiet children’s faces while their actual bodies are flailing around the house at excruciating volumes and knocking the pictures of themselves off the wall. My kids are my absolute favorite thing ever, in case you aren’t getting that impression from this paragraph.But the point here is this: I did this wall for so cheap. Which is good because it may not stay around forever. I wanted the clutter as streamlined as could be because I’m crazy that way, hence the all B&W.

Cheapness #1: Ikea is clearly the place for cheap frames, but I did one better. These black 11 x 16 Ikea frames were purchased as a lot on ebay for $35 total. Twenty frames for $35. Probably not easily replicated, but maybe worth a try?

Cheapness #2: I used a pad of water color paper for the mats (cut with an exacto and ruler) instead of actual mat board. I think I spent $12. For a few of the mats, I cut grids instead of singles.

Cheapness #3: The photos are drugstore printed black and white 3×5’s. Obviously, this isn’t an archival framing method, but it serves it’s purpose for now and I filled an entire wall for about $50. Not bad.

And, for the next few years let’s have a standing agreement that you’ll excuse the lack of baseboards anywhere in my house. Thanks for reading!!!